One of the most time consuming and labor intensive tasks faced by many businesses is the setting up, and updating of, a payroll system and/or the creation, and maintenance of, payroll records for each employee of the business.
Recently, computing system implemented payroll systems have been introduced that have standardized, and in some cases automated, some payroll features and functions, thereby representing a distinct improvement over older manual methods. However, these currently available computing system implemented payroll systems typically require the entry of large volumes of data regarding each employee and often require the user to create a comprehensive employee payroll record, all before any paycheck can be generated for an employee, and often for any employee.
Not only do currently available computing system implemented payroll systems typically require significant amounts of data entry to create a comprehensive employee payroll record before any paycheck can be generated for the employee, but many currently available computing system implemented payroll systems require the user to enter the requested data/information sequentially, and often each field must be filled in completely before the user is allowed to move on to the next data entry field and/or screen. Consequently, using many currently available computing system implemented payroll systems, if some of the information regarding an employee is currently not available, then the available data can't be entered because the user is blocked from proceeding beyond any empty data entry field.
One reason currently available computing system implemented payroll systems take this rather draconian approach to data entry is that, by law, certain information must be obtained regarding an employee before a paycheck can be generated for the employee. However, currently available computing system implemented payroll systems typically require far more information than is necessary to generate a legal, herein also referred to as a compliant, paycheck. In fact, most currently available computing system implemented payroll systems require that all data necessary to generate an “exact paycheck” of an amount calculated based on exactly correct deductions, and other variable items, be obtained before the user is allowed to generate a paycheck or run a payroll. However, all the law actually requires is a compliant paycheck, i.e., a paycheck that has been calculated to conform to the legally required deductions and other variable items. While in many instances, the “exact paycheck” is preferred, the time involved, the amount of data required, and the potential for missing data, often means that if an “exact paycheck” is required, then no paycheck can be generated at all.
The amount of data required by currently available computing system implemented payroll systems often means that numerous of data entry is required to set up a payroll for even the smallest business, and many multiples of this amount are required for larger businesses. While this is a heavy toll for all businesses, small businesses, with their often limited human resources, tend to suffer the most using currently available computing system implemented payroll systems.
As an example, using currently available computing system implemented payroll systems, the user is often to required to enter at least the following data, for each employee: the employer name; the employer address; a contact name for the employer; contact information for the employer; the employer's employer identification number; the employer state tax account number; the type of business, i.e., the employer's company structure; the employees tax filing name; year to date earnings for the employee; year to date withholdings for the employee; the employee's filing status; the employees withholdings and exemptions; the employees healthcare benefits information; the employee's retirement benefits information; the employee's vacation time; the employee's sick time; year to date earnings for the employee and/or business; the employee's pay schedule; the employee's direct deposits; the type of employee; the employee's state withholdings; the employee's SUI; the employee's work site location; information regarding the identity of the employees dependents and their contact information; the method of check distribution; and often numerous other data that varies from currently available computing system implemented payroll system-to-currently available computing system implemented payroll system.
Clearly the entry of the above data, for each employee, is a burdensome task, particularly when a paycheck, or payroll, is needed quickly. As a result, while currently available computing system implemented payroll systems are, without question, a marked improvement over older manual methods, currently available computing system implemented payroll systems still present a significant data entry burden for their users and therefore are still far from being efficient or ideal payroll systems.